MALIBU, Calif. – Fairfield University Volleyball erased a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set with California Baptist on Friday morning in Malibu. The Stags, playing their third consecutive five-set outing, were edged in the deciding frame as the Lancers claimed a 3-2 decision by set scores of 25-17, 25-22, 17-25, 18-25, and 15-11 to open Fairfield's weekend at the Pepperdine Tournament.
Fairfield, which defeated UMBC and Lafayette in five sets last weekend, evens its record at 2-2 with the loss. CBU – a 21-win team last season – improves to 1-4.
Manuela Nicolini and
Morgan Doll each recorded a double-double for the Stags. Nicolini posted 39 assists and a career-high 24 digs, filling out her statline with five kills (.385), four blocks, and a personal-best five service aces. Doll notched 15 digs and 10 assists to complete the first-ever double-double for a Stag from the libero spot since the position was instituted in 2002.
Leading the attack for Fairfield was
Joelle Battles with a career-high 17 kills, while
Laura Seeger joined her in double figures with 14 finishers. In the middle,
Kaylie Butts and
Luci Albertson recorded seven and four kills, respectively. Rounding out the offense were
Sonja Radulovic with six kills and
Mayda Garcia with two in her Fairfield debut.
Nicolini and Doll were two of five Stags to record double-digit digs.
Jamie Calandro notched a career-high 13 digs, while Garcia and Radulovic each posted 11. The last time that five Stags reached double-digit digs in a four-set match was a 3-1 win over New Hampshire at Alumni Hall on Sept. 9, 2017.
At the net, Butts had a hand in five of the Stags' seven team blocks.
In addition to Nicolini's five service aces, Doll served up two with Radulovic and
Julia Kallen each landing one winner.
CBU was led by 19 kills and 18 digs from Cassidy Dennison. Natalie Zimmerer and Hana Okuhara managed the Lancers' 6-2 offense with 27 and 15 assists, respectively. Libero Nicole Abreu mirrored Nicolini's match-high output with 24 digs.
The Stags will have a quick turnaround as they return to the court at Firestone Fieldhouse tonight at 9 PM (ET) to challenge host Pepperdine. The Waves, who swept CBU yesterday, at 2-2 in the early stages of the 2019 campaign.
